New Delhi: Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused BJP MP Anurag Thakur of "abusing and insulting" him in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Union Budget on Tuesday.
Anurag Thakur entered into a heated argument with Rahul Gandhi during his speech in the Lower House of the Parliament, saying that those whose caste is unknown are speaking on the issue of caste census.
Reacting to this, the Congress leader said that whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit, and the backward gets abused.
"Those whose caste is not known, talk about the caste census. I want to remind the Speaker that in this House itself, a former prime minister RG-1 (Rajiv Gandhi) had opposed reservation for OBCs," the BJP MP said.
Rahul Gandhi replied, "Whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit and the backward, is abused. I will happily accept these abuses...Anurag
Thakur has abused me and insulted me. But I do not want any apology from him."
Sawamjwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav intervened in the conservation and questioned Anurag Thakur how one could ask about the caste of any person.
"How can you ask caste...?" he asked BJP leader in the Lower House.
The caste census was one of the Congress party's promises in the 2024 general elections.
The Congress party has promised to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the Supreme Court mandated 50 per cent cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), as per its poll manifesto.
The party also promised to conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.
Meanwhile, Anurag Thakur defended the BJP's lotus symbol and launched a scathing attack on the Congress party during the discussion on the Union Budget on Tuesday.
Thakur began by congratulating Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on presenting the seventh consecutive budget, describing it as a "budget that resonates with public sentiments." He then replied to the criticisms from opposition leaders who had made derogatory remarks about the BJP's election symbol, the lotus.
"The lotus is not just our election symbol but also represents Goddess Lakshmi, our national flower, and the meditative posture of Padmasana," Thakur stated. He accused the opposition of insulting revered figures like Lord Shiva, Buddha, and Lokmanya Tilak by disparaging the lotus.
Thakur's speech quickly pivoted to a sharp critique of Congress and its leaders. He highlighted the Congress's historical opposition to OBC reservations and accused them of being disconnected from the realities of caste and community issues.
Referring to rghe novel written by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, "The Great Indian Novel," which depicts historical and political figures, asserting that it aligns Congress with the negative characters of the Mahabharata.
He also lambasted the Gandhi family, accusing them of nepotism and corruption. "For them, OBC means 'Only for Brother-in-law Commission,'" he quipped, referring to Congress's alleged favoritism.
Concluding his speech, Thakur dismissed the Congress's allegations of fear and instability under the current government. "Yes, there is fear--fear among criminals, corrupt people, and enemies of the nation," he declared, reiterating the budget's focus on public welfare and development.
Thakur's remarks, punctuated by historical references and literary citations, underscored his defense of the BJP's policies and symbol while attacking the Congress's legacy and leadership.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi drew parallels from the Mahabharata, on Monday and attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over the Union Budget saying that there's an atmosphere of fear in the country, adding that the country is now trapped in a "Chakravyuh of lotus," referring to the BJP's symbol.
In the last speech, I spoke about some religious concepts. Shivji's concept and concept of Ahinsa is that the trishool is placed behind the back and is not held in the hand. I spoke about the snake on Shivji's neck and I also said how all religions in our country proposed the idea of non-violence, which can be capsulated in the phrase Daro mat Darao mat. I also said that there is an idea beyond the personal. The idea of the Abhay Mudra is that transmits this motion of Ahinsa and affection and fearlessness to everybody else. There is an atmosphere of fear, dar ka mahool hai Hindustan main. My friends are smiling but they are also scared. Budget par hi bol raha hu sir. Sir, you see the problem in the BJP: only one man is allowed to dream of being Prime Minister. If the Defence Minister decides he wants to be Prime Minister, there is a big problem--there is fear. So there is fear in the country. The question I was asking myself was: Why is this fear spreading so deeply? Why is it that my friends in the BJP are terrified, the ministers are terrified, the farmers of India are terrified, and workers and youngsters are terrified," Rahul Gandhi said.
